Slightly overhanging to orifice steep (almost) at the end. Mostly big holds make it a good warm up for the rest of the wall.

Flyer Starter

Coup d'etat

Hard Day at The Orifice

Disfigured Foreigner

Hereiophobia

Gettin' Off The Porch

Huck Fin

Heel-A Monster

Taking a Kneebar

Davin's Route (Teegerstrong)

Unknown

Another Word For Eureka

Granite of the Apes

The Brightest Fire

In Search of Silence

Unattended Consequences

Orifice Politics

Disfigured Oedipus

Ape Debate

Eureka

Oedipus Complex

Great long route. Best rock quality at the Orifice Wall. Thin and acrobatic climbing, not as steep as the other hard climbs in this area, but still very steep for normal standards.  

  Very hard for about 40 feet (after the big black ledge) and then is sustained, and thought provoking, 11+/12- for a long ways.  

  ATTENTION!!!! LOWERING FALL HAZARD.    This route is very steep. When lowering from it, you need to clip your rope back to the draws in order to pull you in, or you will be stranded out in space away from the ledge.    THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.    Belayers PLEASE be aware of this and DO NOT DROP the climber.  

  #***************************************************************************************************************************************************#   #* TIE A STOPPER KNOT AT THE END OF THE ROPE TO AVOID IT FROM SLIPPING THROUGH YOUR BELAY DEVICE  *#   #***************************************************************************************************************************************************# 

  A single 60mts rope will barely take you safely to the ledge. So IF CLIMBING WITH A 60MTS ROPE PLEASE BE EXTRA CAREFUL.   

  We found that clipping your rope to the chain draws right before the hard crux is sufficient.

Bolted in 2001 and worked on by a number of people Vince finally worked out the cruxes.  This route goes on and on.  Despite the knee bars that allow numerous rests you are working the whole time.  Two cruxes, one low and the very sequential and harder high crux lead to forty feet of less overhanging 5.11 to finish the route.

Follow the general directions given to get to The Fortress but don't go down the gully. Just as the trail starts down the east side of The Fortress follow the ledge around the left side and you will find a safety cable. This cable will lead to another cable that will guide you safely down to the climbs. 

  The Orifice is in the running for one of the mountains best sport climbs. This route has a huge exposure factor (laugh at your friends when they get needlessly scared), some great jug hauling and enough technical climbing to keep it interesting. A hard start leads to a large orifice which serves as a rest before the real climbing begins. Sign the guestbook while you rest in the hole. Figure out how to get out of the hole and then do the technical crux. Now jug haul for a ways and get ready for some final action before it mellows out for the finish. Follow the bolt line to the right near the top for the original (easier) finish or cut left (harder) for another letter grade worth of fun.

Steep route that overhangs about 15 to 20 feet in 40.  Mostly big holds with an exciting finish.

The name means fear of deviation from the official doctrine. (sport being the doctrine at this wall) The first trad route at the Orifice Wall.  Left leaning and overhanging chimney/offwidth to steep jug hauling.  Looks like a nightmare but footholds on the face make it fun and worth doing if you like the wide stuff.  It is a little runnout to the first cam but easy.  At the top you move left and finish by clipping the last bolt of Flyer Starter.

Cool moves off the ground then left onto some slightly funky vertical rock.  Up to really cool moves past bulge to powerful laybacks.  I think once the 15 feet of funky rock cleans up a little more this will be a blast.

The start and the finish pack the punch.  The middle section has big holds on thin but solid stone.

This route is 5.11 except for a very difficult bouldery crux. Needs some repeats to get a better idea of the grade. Sloping rail/crack leads to more typical Orifice big moves and Jugs. From the ledge some fun jug hauling leads to the anchors. An unlikely kneebar but bomber kneebar can be had if you have short legs. Long legged people might be able to get one but it will be tricky to get. Looks like being tall makes it easier.

In loving memory of Davin Teegerstrom who FA'd this pitch in style.Connects most of the best climbing of Hard Day at the Orifice to a juggy traverse that deposits you directly into the crux of Eureka. There’s a bomber knee bar in there you’ll want to find to give you an edge before tackling the final Boulder.Another link amongst friends.

 

This is a linkup of Eureka and Hard day, and by far the easiest route on the steep portion of the Orifice.  

  Climb Eureka up to just past the seventh bolt. From here (at the end of the left facing lie-back flake) you could clip the eighth bolt on Eureka. Don't. Instead, reach directly right to a jug, execute some fun, gymnastic moves, trending slightly down and to the right, until you reach the bolt that is level with you on Hard Day. Don't clip this bolt (rope drag). Clip the next bolt then finish in the chimney of Hard Day.  

  It might make sense to eventually get some new bolts in place to make this transition a bit cleaner. As it is there's a bit of a runout to the first bolt that should be clipped on Hard Day. That being said, I tested the fall and it's perfectly safe.

Split left before the crux of Eureka for three bolts of glory and a harder boulder problem. This was the original exit for Eureka until the key hold was found on the right exit.

Yet another pearl of the Orifice Wall, crazy  steep, beta intensive and ridiculously fun.   Three distinct hard sections lead to the anchors. The climbing is sustained, so it is key to learn how to use and milk the few rests. The ride is not over until is over. 

  During rainy season, water seeping from the chimney at the top of A Hard Day in the Orifice wets some key holds in the middle section, making the red point quite elusive.

To date the easiest route at the Orifice Wall.  The climbing is tricky and and has some crimps down low.  The middle section is pumpy with a moderate last 15 feet.  It might make a good warm up climb on a cloudy day or if you get there after 11 a.m.

Link the bottom of Granite of the Apes into the top of Coup d'Etat (link point is obvious and after the double kneebar after the crux on Granite of the Apes). This route combines the best and hardest climbing on Granite of the Apes, Orifice Politics, and Coup d'Etat. This is currently the hardest route at the Orifice and the most direct line up the main wall. Get some.

Big holds lead to a 15 foot crux then it is a jug haul to the chains.  A little fuzzy right now but should clean up and the bird poop can be easily avoided.  Some bolts placed by SA 15 years ago.

This is a line I have looked at since 1996.  The first forty feet had been started by Mark Hathaway so I stayed off of it.  In 2001 I bolted a hard variation finish in an effort not to ruffle Marks feathers but still allow me to climb this face.  Mark worked it some in 2001 but as far as I know that was it.  This year Vince called and asked if he could work the route which was pretty nice since almost no work that I know of has been done on it in years.  Mark said yes and so Vince and I started working the route with my alternate finish.  Vince figured out the first crux (the Mary Poppins move) which I had never done til this year. Thanks to a little cleaning to consolidate the kitty litter it is pretty reasonable now.  Vince has done the route with my original finish which has a harder crux higher up with one hang.  Today we bolted the line that I had always envisioned which goes straight up a big flake then turns the bulge and up a less steep but still overhanging headwall.  So after twelve years of looking at it and few dozen tries at the crux I finally got to climb it on my second run.  It is a great line with a wild crux slightly less than half way up.  The rest of the climb is an enduro fest that took knee bars and arm bars to make it go.  Will have to wait for others opinions but for twelve years I have said it is one of the most striking lines in Tucson and that is why I am so thrilled to finally climb it.  Hey the guidelines say deepest thoughts.  Not that deep maybe but they are my thoughts. 

  P.S. The swing off of this route is even better than Hard Day.  Climb up to the second bolt step left make sure you have as much stretch out of the rope as possible then cut loose.

Starting on Disfigured Foreigner, climb through the crux clipping the first four chain draws. Once over the first roof, move left and finish on the crux of Oedipus Complex.  Dreamed up by John Hinrichsen, this actually contains most of the hard climbing on both routes and is a rather direct, obvious line.  Worthwhile if you're looking for something short but challenging or if you've exhausted the other routes on the wall.

Another link-up. Climb the start of Granite of the Apes and finish on Orifice Politics.

Big holds an a 45 degree wall until you reach the bouldery crux. I really didn't think this thing would go as one of the best young guns had tried it and couldn't or didn't care enough to do it. Rapped it with my buddy Eddie Mofardin to look at going left, a variation that has since been done, Eddie noticed a sidepull hold out right which was the ticket to ride and lead to it being climbed. Also of note Eddie probably could have done the FA before me but waited for me to do it as I had done the work to bolt it. 

Big holds to a short section of direction changing layaways then a safe but long run past ring anchors to the top of the climb to the left "Taking a Knee is the way it gets climbed now.

The Orifice Wall, which is one of the most popular and unique crags in Southern Arizona, boasts some of the steepest and hardest climbs in the region. Classic lines include Hard Day at The Orifice, Orifice Politics, and Coup d'etat. 

  The wall is relatively impervious to the frequent summer monsoon rains, sees shade almost all day (after 10:30am), and is almost entirely fixed chain draws.  On summer weekends the crag is frequently busy with lines on some routes. 

  The overhung nature of the climbing demands heel-hooks and knee-bars, a rarity in Tucson.  A knee pad is recommended for some of the lines.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Orifice Wall